


Three Strikes

by echoflowertea



Series: Open Requests [30]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Female Reader, Reader Is Not Frisk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-14 14:52:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8018323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echoflowertea/pseuds/echoflowertea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Contrary to popular belief, Sans can be motivated. He just needs the right inspiration.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Strikes

**Author's Note:**

> **prompt** : I feel bad that there have been more sans/reader requests lately since Papy needs love too! But I'd really like to see some lovesick Sans? We know he loves reader but its rare to see him get all flustered! I want all the fluff and feelings!
> 
>  **come hang with me on[tumblr](http://echoflowertea.tumblr.com/)**! just **_please_** don't follow me if your blog doesn't meet my [following criteria](http://echoflowertea.tumblr.com/read).

Before he met you, Sans didn’t know a damn thing about romance.

Sure, he loved his brother. His friends. His makeshift little family. He loved the kid, the surface, the sunlight and stars. But nothing romantic ever came from it.

He saw why Alphys and Undyne _worked_ together, though he himself wasn’t sure what it was that _drew_ them to each other. When Toriel talked – very rarely – about her relationship with Asgore, he accepted it as a simple fact and nothing more. He supported his brother’s decision to research dating tips, though Sans’s interest was from a purely detached/scientific curiosity type of standpoint.

Monsters and humans might’ve differed in a lot of ways, but some of them yearning for relationships was something both species could relate to.

For him, showing any kind of affection was a pain. He thought he could do it in roundabout ways. Just making sure that everyone was safe and happy, bringing a few laughs to their lives. Trying to get them to see that he cared, just not in the way that they considered normal. No outright confessions of feelings. No hugs and embraces. No gentle touches just for the hell of it.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like it. He just…didn’t really get it. He was content to be in his own little personal bubble, away from everyone else, appreciating their fun but not wanting to be part of it in any way, shape or form.

Those urges or desires didn’t exist.

He was cool with that.

Then something changed.

He met you through Papyrus. The both of you joined a cooking class together and were often partnered up for some of the more intense dishes. You entered into a competition together and you rapidly became his brother’s best friend. You guys did everything together. You watched movies, exchanged presents, and even walked up to graduate together to receive your certificates. Humans called it “attached at the hip”.

He really thought for sure you were a couple, so when he called you his brother’s girlfriend in front of him, the reaction he received was pretty surprising.

“NYEH HEH HEH! OH MY GOD, YOU THINK THAT SHE AND I ARE TOGETHER?”

“yeah.”

“WHY WOULD WE BE DATING? WE ARE FRIENDS, SANS!”

“close friends.”

“THE CLOSEST. BUT IT DOES NOT MEAN WE WISH TO BE ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED?” Papyrus chuckled. “YOU ARE LUCKY YOU HAVE SOMEONE AS COOL AND GREAT AS ME TO EXPLAIN THESE THINGS TO YOU! PEOPLE CAN BE BEST FRIENDS AND HAVE NO DESIRE TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP.”

“but you guys are always touchin’ each other.”

“THAT IS BECAUSE I AM NATURALLY VERY STATUESQUE AND SHE CANNOT SEEM TO KEEP HER HANDS OFF ME,” he joked. “IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, YOU AND I BOTH KNOW THAT IT IS JUST HOW I SHOW AFFECTION TO PEOPLE I LIKE AND TRUST. WHAT ARE A FEW HUGS AND CUDDLES BETWEEN FRIENDS? YOU SHOULD TRY IT SOMETIMES, SANS, YOU MAY FIND THAT YOU LIKE IT!”

For some reason, he found himself strangely relieved that you two weren’t A Thing, but chalked it up to uncertainty about monster-human relationships.

Sans snuck glances at you more often after that. You came over to Undyne and Alphys’ place frequently for dinner and game night, a tradition that included all of his friends. He sat next to you at the table and reached down to readjust his posture when he brushed up against you.

And _wow_.

He knew immediately why he’d been trying so hard to make you laugh all night.

But he kept it to himself. Played it cool. Got flustered at the smile you shot him before you ducked out the door, waving, promising you would be back to see them tomorrow.

“Oh, I almost forgot. I wanted your opinion on this gift I’m getting for Papyrus, so…” You grabbed a sharpie from your purse. “Do you mind if I…?”

He had no idea what the hell was going on. He just kept staring at the curve of your lips. Biting down on his tongue so he wouldn’t end up spouting some awkward half-baked pun.

“I’m going to give you my number.”

“uh. your…number.”

“For my phone?”

“oh. right. ok. yeah.”

He tensed at the way you approached him, reaching over so you could scribble it on the back of his hand. But the softness of your fingers was enough to stop all of his worries and fears. Because when he looked up at you, watching the way you concentrated as you jotted down all of the digits that would probably be his sole focus for the next week.

When you pulled back, he spotted the heart on the end of your name and melted.

Something snapped in him. A fluttering in his ribcage that didn’t seem to want to subside no matter how much he shifted and tried to settle down.

Both of you parted with giant grins on your faces.

Undyne burst out laughing when he rejoined the rest of the group in the living room.

“Oh my GOD, SANS??? You’re BLUSHING, nerd!”

“no i'm not.” He felt himself start to sweat. “this is my natural complexion.”

“YOU LIKE HER, DON’T YOU????”

“what?” He stammered out something incomprehensible. “nah, she’s cool though.”

“O-oh, he likes her a _lot_ ,” Alphys chimed. “Y-you can practically see his SOUL glow through his chest.”

Sans panicked and glanced down at the shirt he’d slapped on for the gathering, one of your favorite animal with some kind of lame joke on it. He wore it to get a reaction out of you and pretty much did, the eyeroll and smirk you shot him was enough that he decided he would wear it probably once every four or five times he saw you. Just so it would become a running joke between the both of you.

“wha…n-no you can’t.”

“PFFFFTHAHAHAHA!” Undyne roared, falling over backwards with tears running down her cheeks. “PAPYRUS! YOUR BROTHER HAS A CRUSH ON THE HUMAN!”

“h-heh, whatever, you guys are real funny.” Sans retreated to his usual spot and did his best to hide the message on his arm.

After everyone parted ways, and the brothers went home, Sans hopped up on his bed and stared at the writing you did on his arm. Reaching out to stroke where the tip of your marker had been, tracing along your penmanship, trying to recreate the softness of your touch.

He put the number in his phone.

Waited a few hours. Pretended not to be checking the notifications.

Finally decided to just—to just do it, to text you. To break the silence. See what all of this was about.

And his phone buzzed.

Maybe it had taken a long time to get here. He’d never thought that this would happen to him. He was content to get through life watching over his friends and family. But it really wasn’t a bad thing that he formed this monstrous, ridiculously mushy, almost _painful_ crush on the one human that all of his friends seemed to like as a collective.

It didn’t help that _everyone_ noticed.

“You have been in a much better mood lately, Sans. Does this have to do with your daily texts?”

He shoved his phone in his jacket pocket, ignoring the gentle ringtone that he set for you. It was personalized. A clip from your favorite song. “heh, don’t know whatcha mean, tori.”

“Y-you guys look really good together, Sans! I-I hear she’s single.”

He chuckled nervously, avoiding Alphys’s hard stare at the lab table. “uh, good to know?”

Undyne hovered over him when he sat on the couch, crossed arms, biceps bulging, and a feral grin on her face.

“Hey NERD, make your MOVE before someone ELSE does.”

It was a lot of pressure, especially for something he wasn’t ready to pursue yet. He knew that he…liked your company. That he wanted nothing more than to be someone you were exclusive with. At the same time, it was a huge step. He could barely handle all these newfound feelings now. How would he keep it together if he was in a relationship? And how was he supposed to even know that you felt the same way? His brother kept a dating manual in the house, but he would be damned if he swallowed his pride and flipped through it.

He did what he had to. He arranged a meeting with you.

To…talk about things. To make it clear. To tell you that…regardless of what the others said, that he wasn’t interested in moving things forward. Because it wasn’t fair for him to keep entertaining this fact when he just…didn’t think that he really deserved…

He sat down on the park bench. Heard you walk up. Tensed. Shuddered under the rush of wind as the streetlight sent gentle shadows down your face. How he could imagine how every single thread of hair would feel along his fingers, his bones, his mouth. He zeroed in on your figure and the light air you carried with you, bringing along this unfamiliar, almost overwhelming feeling that made his throat close up and his quick wit melt in his mouth.

“hey.”

“Sans.”

“yeah, i uh…”

“Look, before you say anything, I need to be honest with you.”

He swallowed. “ok.”

“I feel like I should’ve been straight up with these past few months.”

“uh huh.”

He was going to shatter. He was going to look in your eyes, hear the exact words that he’d been mulling over, and dissociate from everything else. Head back home with his heart heavy and trying not to take it personally. Because what did he expect? You were perfect and wonderful and _fuck_ you were beautiful, he was just some creepy monster that shot you doe eyes every single damn _time_ you came into the room. It was no wonder you needed to address this issue with him in a secluded place.

“I want to go out with you.”

“me too.”

He froze.

_What?_

“Y-you do?” You reared back, cheeks flushing with color. “Are you…are you serious? You like me, too?”

Sans felt like he was going to throw up. He was so happy. So damn happy that it felt like he was in zero gravity, floating in midair and just along for the ride. He reached back and scratched at his neck, a ripple of nervous laughter escaping him, the familiar warmth of embarrassment trickling and crawling along his face.

“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe—I thought for sure—why didn’t you _say_ anything?!”

He laughed. Halfway sheepish, halfway pained. “didn’t think you would ever feel the same way.”

“That’s _my_ line!”

He stood up from his seat. Colors melted around him, the atmosphere warping and nothing but a soft halo around your head and shoulders. Tunnel vision to the max. All he could focus on was the sheen to your eyes, the familiar glint that made him reconsider every single thing he ever thought could make him happy. He approached you steadfast, hands in his pockets, staring up at you in wonder and amazement.

“can i kiss you?”

You bent down and took one from him in response.

Sans didn’t really think of it as _sparks_ flying. He’d never done this sort of thing before. It was a little uncomfortable at first, getting used to the new and weird sensations, but he was quick to adapt. There was no use in mulling over that. But there was _something_ , alright. How he could feel the texture to your lips. Appreciate their softness. How plump they were against him. How a few wisps of hair tickled his shoulders while you bent down to continue laying one on him. How you pulled him flush to you, everything meeting in a bright moment where he couldn’t even fucking _imagine_ not being with you.

You parted from him. Licked your lips. Whispered his name.

He grinned.

From that day forward, Sans knew that there wasn’t going back. Ever.

Everyone that it was hilarious and adorable how attentive he was. For a guy that could barely stand a one-armed hug once in a while, he had way too much love to give now.

Six months passed.

A year.

 _Two years_.

He couldn’t _believe_ you stuck around with him for that long. For monsters it didn’t mean much, but humans had shorter lifespans. You could’ve grown out of his terrible puns and lazy attitude. You didn’t. You never turned your back on him. There were a few misunderstandings, sure, but that was normal in any kind of relationship.

People thought he would settle down once the novelty wore off. That he would eventually get used to having you around and _not_ be a complete lovesick puppy that struggled to stop _blushing_ every time the both of you flirted everywhere and nowhere.

They were totally wrong.

“Sans, you still with us?”

He continued to write on his pad of paper. “yep, gotta make sure we lower the temperature of the lab this weekend to compensate for the repairs. got it.”

The staff meeting was ridiculously long and boring, with management addressing things that could hardly be considered important issues. They were just drilling him because they were upset that he was barely paying attention.

Alphys giggled next to him and nudged him with her shoulder. “W-what are you writing?”

He grinned and turned the paper toward her. “tryin’ to see if i could pull off her last name.”

“O-oh my god?” Alphys burst into a fit of giggles, so hard that the rest of the people in the room shot her hard stares. She eventually had to excuse herself and leave the room. Sans could hear her losing it all the way down the hall.

With the rest of the afternoon to finish up some paperwork, Sans retired to his office.

He slipped into his computer chair and whipped around in it a few times, trying to make himself a little dizzy to bring him out of the scattered thoughts that hung on his shoulders. He really had to get working on this last review of the research materials for their next big project, but first, he was going to eat something.

He reached under his desk and picked up the lunchbox that Papyrus got him. It was in the shape of a bone. With one side that had an internal cooling system, which he thought was the greatest thing ever. He preferred to bring back leftovers from dinner to munch on during work, mostly because it reminded him of his brother and how much he really appreciated his family.

He opened it up and realized that the usual container wasn’t in there. Weird. After prying out what had been shoved haphazardly inside, he found the sticky note taped to the top.

It was in the shape of a heart.

_Sans,_

_I hope you’re having a good day. Your speech at the meeting today was amazing. Be sure to keep your cool with Arvo, okay? You can rant all about him when you get home, I just know he probably said something to piss you off today._

_Did you know that I love you?_

_Yeah, you probably did. Because you’re just as smart as you are sexy. ;)_

_I’ll see you in a few hours!_

Sans reread the message about five times. Grinning. Flipping it over to find a lipstick stain on the other side. You knew it drove him crazy. And that little spritz of perfume? The one that you _only_ wore when you were about to corner him into the bedroom? That was just torture. He turned around, grabbed a thumbtack from his desk, and posted it up on the corkboard with all the other hundreds of messages you’d given him over the years.

The phone rang and he picked it up immediately.

“yep, this is sans, what can i do for ya?”

From the corner of his eye he watched Alphys slip into the office. She was beaming at him, but returned her attention to all of his things around the room.

She loved coming in here. It was always warm and…sunny. Frisk brought over plants for Sans to keep on his windowsill, and a lot of them were thriving because he was so attentive. Papyrus posted up pictures of all three of you together, the walls covered in them, expressions ranging from silly to downright enamored. Along the back wall were paintings that you picked out for him at the local art dealer, including one of those ridiculous abstract art pieces that he only kept because it drove his brother crazy. He rotated the frames so Papyrus always interpreted something completely different when he came in and saw them, which was probably why Sans kept them up in the first place.

“ok. thanks.” He hung up and swung around to meet her. “sup.”

“W-who was that?”

“mailman.” He shrugged. “tryin’ to make sure the gift basket i bought her gets to her work tomorrow. said he might be behind schedule ‘cuz of traffic, but i let him know it should be fine.”

Alphys sighed almost dreamily. “S-She’s going to love it.”

“sure hope so.” He coughed. “you, uh. come by for a reason?”

“Y-Yes, actually. I wanted to let you know that you have a package outside.”

His stomach twisted. “what.”

He scrambled over to the door and pressed his face against the window. Watched as the girl walked up with a giant box slung over her shoulder.

“no way.”

The delivery girl set it down in front of his office. Several people had craned their necks out of their cubicles to see what was going on. Nosy bastards. Sans felt himself start to sweat, his bones slick from nervousness. He had butterflies and it wasn’t pleasant at all. Instead of making a scene, he expressed his internal discomfort by tugging at the collar of his shirt and gazing down at the gift.

“I-it looks cool, whatever it is.”

“i _know_ what it is.” Sans laughed shakily. “she got me a new telescope.”

He was going to get you back for this. The flowers he was getting to you weren’t going to hold a candle to this. Shit. He found himself ignoring his inquisitive audience as he signed for it giddily, tearing away at the cardboard before the girl even left to finish off her rounds.

“W-wait, are you talking about the one that r-rivals the type of equipment that they send into space?!”

“hell yeah. i mentioned it last year when they announced its release. she must’ve…must’ve saved up ever since then to snag me one.”

He knew his cheeks were red. He didn’t care. He knew that he was grinning like a madman and that his giddy expression sent a ripple of laughter down the hall. Didn’t care about that either. Because as he tore away at the casing and plastic, pulling it out of the styrofoam and setting it down carefully on the carpet, he was way too excited and filled to the brim with love that he couldn’t damn well stand it.

It was gorgeous. Sleek. Powerful. The magnification on this thing – with the added camera – was going to give him so much free reign in what he could see and capture. He would spend hours in the field behind their house just gazing into the vast, endless skies. And you knew that. You knew that sometimes he couldn’t sleep through the night, even if you were with him, and that he had to leave his room in order to be comforted by the twinkling planets thousands and thousands of light years away.

He was going to find planets and name them after you.

He was going to immortalize you in the stars by discovering things that no one else could’ve dreamed of.

He was going to kiss the _hell_ out of you when he got home.

Everyone gathered around. Flustered. Wanting to ask him the specifications for it. Looking over the manual. Geeking out. He was proud and touched that so many of them were interested, but wary that they didn’t scuff the thing.

He couldn’t stop gushing about you.

“told her, y’know, months and months ago. said i read this article that talked all about it. she listened to me ramble on for hours even though she had to get up for work the next day.”

“Damn, Sans. You sure are lucky.”

He paused a bit at that comment. “yeah. i am. can't even tell ya how much.”

It was too much. _You_ were too much. He knew that you were patient and respectful. He knew that you were attentive and wonderful. But it was a little hard to swallow that someone out there in this nasty world could be _perfect_. You had your flaws, sure, that wasn’t what he meant – but the fact that you poured so much love into your relationship with him was just…phenomenal. How you could remember things he mentioned offhandedly. How you could sit there and make him feel like he was the single most important person in the entire world.

He stammered out more compliments about you when prompted. His coworkers knew he was in a relationship, but being able to freely discuss what he loved about you was just so _freeing_. He could gush all he wanted, letting his pupils shift into hearts, spewing out every single compliment he could while trying not to reveal too much information.

Because you were _his_ girlfriend, and judging by the more interested parties who wanted to meet you, he wasn’t about to let you go easily.

He spent the rest of the afternoon in a daze. Laughing whenever he stole a glance at the telescope, knowing exactly where to store it in the house. Typing away at emails and responding with a flurry of emoticons, not even caring how much people made fun of him for it later. He sat back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, your face etched in his mind even when he closed his eyesockets.

It was good to be in love.

It was _good_ to have found someone like you. Who was interested in him, too.

He had so many reservations before. He really didn’t think that he could get to this point. It was confusing, intimidating, a little strange. But you were patient with him. You let him keep the pace he wanted. And here he was, about to burst, his magic simmering inside of his SOUL and flaring up with every time he _breathed_ because he couldn’t stop counting the minutes until he would get to see you.

Sans rushed out the door. Got in his car. And sped home.

You were waiting for him in the driveway, having just parked yourself.

“Sans—mmph!”

He kissed you hotly. Dragging you down to his level. Sealing your mouth with his and grinning into the kiss, anchoring you in place. You could taste the passion in it, feel how much he wanted his excitement to be apparent, reaching down to cover his own wandering hand with your own.

Your lips clicked when he separated from you to get some air.

He dove back again.

And again.

And again!

Until the two of you were dizzy in each other, your face flushed when you stepped back to catch your breath. He looked like he couldn’t even stand another second without having you close. Gripping your hand like it was his lifeline, laughing giddily, shoulders shaking while he tried to compose himself.

“can’t believe you. can’t believe you bought me that damn thing.”

“Well you said you wanted it!”

“n’ what, if i said i wanted the moon, you’d grab me that, too?”

“Maybe, if we had _the space_ ,” you joked. “I’m really glad you like it.”

“like it? babe, i think you n’ me need to have a heart-to-heart on how i really feel.” He shook his head. “you – you’re everythin’ to me. can’t even express that enough. you n’ me, we’re meant for each other, y’know?”

“Yeah. I do.”

“so what? what do i gotta do to make things even? to make things right?”

You laughed and tugged on his hand. “How about we grab some takeout, come back here, change into our pajamas, and you watch those terrible, cheesy movies with me until I fall asleep on your lap?”

“then what?”

“You sneak out in the middle of my dreamfest and put that gift to good use! _”_

He gazed at you, SOUL pounding beneath his ribcage. He didn’t even need the damn telescope to see stars.

“heh. you got it, babe.”

Sans really didn’t consider himself to be an expert in love. Not by a long shot. But all things considered…he’d say he was making some real progress.

**Author's Note:**

>  **please comment**! it means SO much to me when you do!
> 
>  **consider helping my friend**! she isn't making enough money to feed herself most days, and would really appreciate ordering art/fic commissions from her.
> 
>  
> 
> [her post](https://azufrost.tumblr.com/post/150156003833/i-normally-dont-ask-for-help)  
> [her ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/A8367F0)
> 
>  
> 
>  **p.s.** the three strikes are: starstruck, awestruck  & lovestruck ;)


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